Running over at the French-language website I Love Basket is a brief on salaries in Pro A and Pro B basketball. Some figures were recently released by the French players association with regard to average monthly salaries, with the key figures below.
(“FIBA players” are defined as those from European nations defined under the Bosman ruling, whereas the “Cotonou nations” are those of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States excepting Cuba.) Combien gagnent-ils? Read on!
Pro A average salary per month (number of players)
Foreigners: €11,888 (69)
FIBA players: €10,979 (9)
Players from Cotonou nations: €8,617 (24)
French: €7,498 (86)
Pro B average salary per month (number of players)
From other FIBA nations: €5441 (9)
Foreigners: €5,128 (36)
Players from Cotonou nations: €4,760 (14)
French: €3,159 (114)
The accompanying statement from the union reads: “To eliminate any ambiguity as to the issue of LNB wages, it is important to note that the majority of French players earn at least €9,000 gross per month in Pro A and less than €4,500 in Pro B. Moreover, the trend is clearly down for these players. … [B]etween the 2008/09 and 2009/10 season, wages fell by 9.8% in Pro A and 12.9% in Pro B for French players. Meanwhile, wages for foreign players increased slightly by 1.6 and 0.6%, respectively.”
Along with the numbers, union president Aymeric Jeanneau concluded that “investing in a French player should be a long-term choice. … Several clubs have brilliantly demonstrated in recent years with patience and perseverance, that success could be maintained based on a core of French players surrounded by quality foreign players. If the signing of a French player can sometimes be more costly in the short term, it seems to the union that this additional cost is largely smooth and profitable over time.”
These figures will reportedly be expounded upon in the next issue of Maxi Basket News, due out at the end of January.
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